Boat-releasing hook.



J. Y. PORTER, JR. BOAT RELEASING HOOK. APP LIUATION FILED PEB.17, 1910.

I Patented July 26,1910.

INVENTUR ATTORNEYS JOSEPH YATES PORTER, JR., OF KNIGHTS KEY, FLORIDA.

BOAT-RELEASING HOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 26, 1910.

Application filed February 17, 1910. Serial No. 544,368.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrri Y. PORTER, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Knights Key, in the county of Monroe and State of Florida, have invented a new and Improved Boat-Releasing Hook, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are: to provide hooks which may be quickly and easily released from the falls employed in launching boats, and simultaneously, when required; to provide a construction which is simple and easy in its manipulation for securing the boat to the falls; and to provide a construction for a hook of the character designated which is simple, strong, automatic and eilicient.

One embodii'nent of the present invention is disclosed in the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reierence denote corresponc ing parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a boat having releasing hooks constructed and ar ranged in accordance with the present invention, the gunwale of the boat being removed to show the releasing hooks; Fig. 2 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale and in side elevation, of the head of the releasing hook; Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the re leasing hook illustrated in Fig. 2, the view being made on the same scale; Fig. 4. is a fragmentary view in vertical section illustrating the shape of the socket for holding, and means for retaining therein, the locking latch for the hook tongue; and Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on the line 5--5 in Fig. 2.

The hooks are preferably fixedly mounted in the stem and stern posts of a boat, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. When the falls are engaged, the supporting strain is principally received on the hook body 6. The fall is maintained on the body 6 by means of a pivoted finger 7, which is pivoted on a pin 8. The finger 7 is provided with an extension extended at an angle from the said finger to form a heel 9. The heel 9 is extended and shaped to strike upon and rest behind a lip 10, which prevents the rotation of the finger and heel beyond the position illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawin s. The heel 9 is so formed that when the bight of the fall is introduced between the hook body 6 and the lip 10 it strikes upon the heel 9,

rotating the same about the pin 8, which causes the finger 7 to bridge the opening between the body 6 and lip 10 behind the said bight. When the finger 7 is rotated to the closed position, it is desired in practice that it shall be there retained until released by manipulation by the person operating the boat to which the hooks are attached.

To hold the hook in the raised position wherein the finger 7 is projected across the opening of the lip 10 and body 6, a latch 11 is pivotally mounted at 12 within a slot 13 rovided in the hook 9. The upper end of the latch 11 is provided with a hook end 1 1 adapted to extend over a ledge 15 forming a part of the structure of the hook body 6. It will be seen, by reference to Fig. 2, wherein the parts are illustrated as in the engaged position, that the hook 9 may not be retracted without the latch 11 being first drawn back so that the hook end 14: is withdrawn from engagement with the ledge 15. Until the latch 11 is thus drawn back the movement of the heel 9, when rotated about the center of the pin 8, is in direct line with the extension of the latch 11, thereby producing a direct pull on the ledge 15 by means of the engagement therewith of the hook end 14:.

To remove the latch 11 from engagement with the ledge 15 there is provided an operating cable 16. The cable 16 is extended along the gunwale of the boat, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and is fixedly connected to the short end of a lever 17, or other suitable device. The cable 16 is threaded through an opening 18 in the body of the hook 6, and laid in a groove 19 formed in the said body. The end of the cable 16 is securely anchored in the hook end ll, and at the outer Any suitable form of fastening is used, such as shown in Fig. lot the drawings. The rear end of the hook 9 is shaped to form an upwardly curved projection 19, over which the cable 16 rests when the finger 7 is in closed position, as seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings. In this position the projection 19 serves the double purpose 0 forming a guide for the cable 16 whereby the backward pull of the same on the latch 11 serves to retract the said latch from engagement with the ledge 15, and further, after the disengagement between the latch and ledge, the pull of the cable 16 serves to draw downward the heel 9 and project outfree end thereof.

ward the finger 7, until the parts assume the position as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. In thus moving the heel 9 and finger 7 the fall, or support, is lifted out 0 engagement with the hook body 6, thereby effecting a positive and sure release of the boat.

The latch 11 is caused to engage the ledge 15 by a leaf spring 20, which is secured 111 position under the head of a screw 21, as illustrated in Fig. 4c of the drawings.

It will be understood that in the class of structures to which the present invention is applied, such as life boats on a sea going vessel, the operation of the release hooks is desired at a certain instant. For efficiency, and to avoid danger, the release must be practically instantaneous, and at the same time must not be uncertain. The moment for operation desired is when the boat has struck the water to be buoyed thereby. With a boat equipped with a construction such as herein described, it will be seen that this may be accomplished by the person in command pulling the lever 17 toa position wherein the cable 16 in the said boat would eject the falls, or suspending devices, thereby releasing the boat from contact and support therewith.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure bv Letters Patent is l. A boat releasing hook comprising a rigid hook body having a lateral opening; a nger pivotally mounted in said body to close said opening; a heel piece rigidly connected with said finger adapted to extend across said opening when said finger is removed therefrom; a movable latch pivotally mounted in said heel piece adapted to engage said hook body when the said finger is in position to close said opemng; and transmission means connected with said latch and with an operating station removed from said hook for disengaging said latch.

boat releasing hook comprising a rigid hook body having a lateral opening; a finger pivotally mounted in said body to close said opening; a tail piece rigidly connected with said finger; a movable latch member pivotally mounted in said tail piece to engage said hook body when said finger is in position to close said opening; a fiexible transmission member connected to said latch and to an operating station removed from said hook; and a projection mounted on said tail piece and extended to support and guide said flexible member within said hook body.

3. A boat releasing hook-comprising a rigid hook body having a lateral opening; a finger pivotally mounted in said body to close said opening; a tail piece rigidly connected with said finger; a movable latch member pivotally mounted in said tail piece to engage said hook body when said finger is in position to close said opening; a flexible transmission member connected to said latch and to an operating station removed from said book; a projection mounted on said tail piece and extended to support and guide said flexible member within said hook body; and a spring mounted on said tail piece to advance said latch to locking position.

In testin'iony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH YATES PORTER, JR.

\Vitnesses CHAS. B. lVILLIAMs,

\V. M. SMITH. 

